1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for administering readout contents, an image reader device, and a method for administering contents.
2. Related Background Art
In a conventional system mainly based on electronic information and paper information, for example, electronic information generated by a personal computer or the like is printed by a printing device such as a printer and an LBP to be formed into paper information, and the paper information is formed into electronic information by an optical image reader device or the like. The electronic information and the paper information are chosen according to the use environment, and coexist independently.
Regarding the electronization of paper information, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-285203 discloses a technique of using paper containing an IC chip for a method for transmitting information. According to this technique, information printed on paper is also accumulated in an IC chip attached to the paper, and in the case of printing the same information on another paper, the information accumulated in the IC chip is read out and printed. Thus, using paper as electronic storage media, information is distributed, transmitted/received, and stored.
Furthermore, as a printed output issuance administration system, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-78176 discloses a technique relating to a system for preventing unauthorized issuance of printed output. This system is used, for example, for administering the issuance of printed output such as negotiable securities and works. According to this technique, in display media having identification information, contents stored in a contents administration device are printed on the display media only in the case where the identification information is recognized as being valid. Thus, printed output having valid identification information can be administered. In this publication, as the “identification information”, for example, printed information such as characters and symbols, optical detection information such as magnetic information and a bar code, watermark, and the like are disclosed.
Conventional general paper information is separated from a network system at the instant when it is printed or copied and the information is read out. Thus, it is practically impossible to administer the paper information.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-285203 discloses a technique of storing contents in an IC chip. For the reasons described below, network administration of contents seems to become mainstream.
(1) From now on, there is a possibility that a memory amount per chip will decrease as the IC chip size is reduced for realizing a decrease in cost of an IC chip, and hence, contents that can be accumulated will become limited.
(2) Due to the increased speed and increased transmission capacity of a network, contents administered on a network can be accessed at any time from any place.
(3) It is desired that the access to the contents be administered with security. Furthermore, it is desired that permission of printing or the like be administered.
Thus, the scope of applications of paper having an IC-chip containing contents is limited.
The above-mentioned system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-78176 is composed of a media information administration device, a contents administration device, a usage administration device, and a printer. In this system, three elements of contents, printing recording media, and a printing mechanism, required for issuing printed output, are administered independently in administering the issuance of printed output, whereby unauthorized issuance of printed output can be prevented, and important printed output such as negotiable securities, admission tickets, works, member cards, certificates, and the like can be printed remotely.
On the other hand, this system administers the issuance of printed output from the host side. Therefore, a user cannot register contents, change contents, or access contents administration information.
Furthermore, this system prints previously registered contents, and cannot newly administer contents that have already been printed.